Cigarette lighter

ABSTRACT

The cover of a cigarette lighter is pivotally mounted between a position closing an outwardly-open burner housing and an open position by means of a rigid piece extending from the inner face of the cover into the housing where it is pivotally mounted on a mobile member elastically biased towards the bottom of the housing. A cam profile on said piece cooperates with a fixed part to displace the pivoting axis towards the opening when the cover is pivoted from the closed towards the open position, thus avoiding rubbing of the cover against the side wall of the lighter.

United States Patent [191 Guenin et al.

[ Oct. 7, 1975 CIGARETTE LIGHTER [73] Assignee: La Nationale S.A., Geneva,

Switzerland 22 Filed: Feb. 25, 1974 21 Appl. No.: 445,659

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data Mar. 2, 1973 Switzerland 3079/73 [52] US. Cl 431/150; 431/152 [51] Int. Cl. F23Q 25/00 [58] Field of Search 431/130, 131, 150, 152

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,143,871 8/1964 Schmitz 431/[50 3,545,905 12/1970 Hocq 431/131 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 945,769 12/1948 France ..431/l52 930,249 8/1947 France Primary ExaminerCarroll B. Dority, Jr. Attorney, Agent, or FirmEmory L. Groff, Jr.

[57] ABSTRACT The cover of a cigarette lighter is pivotally mounted between a position closing an outwardly-open burner housing and an open position by means of a rigid piece extending from the inner face of the cover into the housing where it is pivotally mounted on a mobile member elastically biased towards the bottom of the housing. A cam profile on said piece cooperates with a fixed part to displace the pivoting axis towards the opening when the cover is pivoted from the closed towards the open position, thus avoiding rubbing of the cover against the side wall of the lighter.

3 Claims, 2 Drawing Figures U.S. Patent Oct. 7,1975

CIGARETTE LIGHTER The invention relates to lighters andis particularly concerned with cigarette lighters.

Numerous known cigarette lighters, comprise a case it is notpossible to provide anexternal hinge without seriously impairing the aesthetic .appareance ofthe lighter. Elimination of an external hinge is for example provided in the lighter described in Swiss Pat. No. 476,952. This lighter has a relatively complicated hinge mechanism which provides a virtual axis of pivotingiof the cover, this virtual axis be'inglocated outside-the cover and the case.

Accordingto the invention, there'is provided a lighter comprising a case with an outwardly-open'burner housing, a cover pivotally mounted between a closed position in which it rests on the edge of the housing'and an open position, a rigid piece on the cover extending into the housing, and a mobile member disposed in the housing and biased towards the bottom thereof, said piece being pivotally attached to said member about a mobile pivoting axis situated in the housing when the cover is in the closed position, said piece having a cam profile cooperating with a fixed part of the lighter to displace the pivoting axis towards the opening when the cover is pivoted from the closed position towards the open position.

The accompanying drawings show, schematically and by way of example, three embodiments of lighters according to the invention. In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a partial cross-section of the first embodiment of lighter; and

FIGS. 2 and 3 are partial cross-sections of the two other embodiments, showing the device for articulating the cover onto the case of the lighter.

FIG. 1 shows a lighter comprising a case 2 forming, with a plate 4, a reservoir for a fuel such as liquified gas. This reservoir communicates with a burner 6 provided with a slidably mounted tube 8 which, by cooperation with a cover 10, actuates an obturator, not shown, to cut off the supply of fuel to the burner.

A side wall 26 at the upper part of case 2 defines, with plate 4, a housing 12 which is closed by cover when the lighter is not used. The cover 10 is articulated to the lighter body by means of a rigid piece 14 fixed to and extending into opening 12 from the lower face of cover 10, and carrying a transverse pin 16 whose two ends are engaged under arcuate end portions 18 of a leaf spring 20. One end of spring 20 is fixed to plate 4 by a screw 22 while its other end has two branches extending on either side of piece 14 to exert a pressure on the ends of pin 16.

The case 2 has in horizontal cross-section in relation to FIG. 1 a generally oval shape and, of course, cover 10 has a corresponding oval shape. The lower face of cover 10 has over the greater part of its periphery a rib 24 which, in the closed position of the cover, engages just inside the opening defined by wall 26 of case 2. Engagement of this rib 24 inside housing 12 complements the guiding of cover 1.0 providedby the spring 20 .and piece14.

,. Below pin 16, the piece 14 has-a cam-forming part 28 adapted to cooperate with the plate 4 to produce, upon opening of the cover, aydisplacement of, the, pivoting axis, i.e. of pin 16, towards the housing opening.- In this manner, rubbing of cover.,l 0 against the edge of wall 26 during manoeuvring of the cover is avoided. ,To provide a,construction which is as compact as possible and to make housing 12 with small dimensions,v the distance between the profile of cam-formingpart 28 and pin 16 is small, so thatthe virtual pivoting axis of the cover is relativelyclose to case.2-. :'To avoid any rubbing between cover 10 and wall 26, a recess 30 is provided in the lower face of the cover.

.. It should benoted thatthe pivoting axis of piece 14,

joiningsurface 32 which is further. away from this wall 26. A space 34 is provided between the lower facev of cover 10 and piece 14 to receive the wall 26 during opening and closing of the cover-,aand when the cover is in the fully open position. w

' In the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, all. of the pieces and parts corresponding to those already described with reference to FIG. 1 are designated the same reference numerals and will not be described again. The embodiment of FIG. 2 differs from the first embodiment by the means for guiding and elastically biasing the piece 14 secured to cover 10.

The piece 14 has a transverse pivot 36 providing a pivotal connection between the piece 14 and a mobile member 38. Member 38 is slidably mounted in a housing 40 and has a blind bore 42 in which is lodged a coil spring 44. At its upper part, member 38 is in the form of a fork with two arms passing on either side of a fixed bearing piece 46 and of piece 14. One end of the spring 44 bears in a housing 48 of piece 46, while its other end bears against the bottom of blind bore 42. The member 38 thus ensures guiding of the piece 14 and biasing thereof towards the bottom of housing 12. The profile of cam-forming part 28 of the piece 14 cooperates with the bearing piece 46 and not with plate 4 as in the previous embodiment.

The embodiment of FIG. 3 is similar to that of FIG. 2, but the piece 14 fixed to cover 10 has a cam-forming part 28 of different shape, and this part 28 cooperates with a ball 50 disposed in a housing in the upper face of the bearing piece 46. The curves of the cam profile are less abrupt so that less friction is involved during opening and closing, and its operation is therefore softer. As shown, the cam profile has two recesses which define the open and closed positions of the cover under the action of the biasing means.

We claim:

1. A lighter comprising a case with an outwardlyopen burner housing, said housing including a bottom and a side Wall with an edge, a fixed bearing part in the housing, a cover pivotally mounted between a closed position in which it rests on the edge of the housing and an open position, a rigid piece on the cover extending into the housing, a mobile member disposed in the housing, means for slidably mounting said mobile member in the lighter case, means for biasing said mobile member towards the bottom of the housing, and means for pivotally attaching said rigid piece to said mobile member about a mobile pivotal axis situated in the ceive said wall when the cover is in the open position,

said rigid piece including means defining a cam profile cooperating with saidfixed bearing part of the housing to displace the pivotal axis towards the opening when the cover is pivoted from the closed position towards the open position, said mobile member including means defining a longitudinal blind bore and a pair of fork-like arms extending from the open end of the blind bore in said housing, said rigid piece being pivotally connected to the ends of said arms, said biasing means comprising a coil spring in said bore and a fixed stop between said arms cooperating with the spring to bias said ends of said arms towards the bottom of the hous- 2. A lighter according to claim 1, in which said fixed stop between said arms has a housing containing a ball, the cam profile of said piece cooperating with said ball.

3. A lighter comprising a case with an outwardlyopen burner housing, said housing including a bottom and a side wall with an edge, a fixed bearing part in the housing, a cover pivotally mounted between a closed position in which it rests on the edge of the housing and an open position, a rigid piece on the cover extending into the housing, a mobile member disposed in the housing, means for slidably mounting said mobile member in the lighter case, means for biasing said mobile member towards the bottom of the housing, and means for pivotally attaching said rigid piece to said mobile member about a mobile pivotal axis situated in the housing when the cover is in the closed position, said pivotal axis situated in the proximity of said wall of the housing, said rigid piece connected to an inner surface of the cover at a location further away from said wall than said pivotal axis, means defining a gap between the inner surface of the cover and said rigid piece to receive said wall when the cover is in the open position, said rigid piece including means defining a cam profile cooperating with said fixed beating part of the housing to displace the pivotal axis towards the opening when the cover is pivoted from the closed position towards the open position. 

1. A lighter comprising a case with an outwardly-open burner housing, said housing including a bottom and a side wall with an edge, a fixed bearing part in the housing, a cover pivotally mounted between a closed position in which it rests on the edge of the housing and an open position, a rigid piece on the cover extending into the housing, a mobile member disposed in the housing, means for slidably mounting said mobile member in the lighter case, means for biasing said mobile member towards the bottom of the housing, and means for pivotally attaching said rigid piece to said mobile member about a mobile pivotal axis situated in the housing when the cover is in the closed position, said pivotal axis situated in the proximity of said wall of the housing, said rIgid piece connected to an inner surface of the cover at a location further away from said wall than said pivotal axis, means defining a gap between the inner surface of the cover and said rigid piece to receive said wall when the cover is in the open position, said rigid piece including means defining a cam profile cooperating with said fixed bearing part of the housing to displace the pivotal axis towards the opening when the cover is pivoted from the closed position towards the open position, said mobile member including means defining a longitudinal blind bore and a pair of fork-like arms extending from the open end of the blind bore in said housing, said rigid piece being pivotally connected to the ends of said arms, said biasing means comprising a coil spring in said bore and a fixed stop between said arms cooperating with the spring to bias said ends of said arms towards the bottom of the housing.
 2. A lighter according to claim 1, in which said fixed stop between said arms has a housing containing a ball, the cam profile of said piece cooperating with said ball.
 3. A lighter comprising a case with an outwardly-open burner housing, said housing including a bottom and a side wall with an edge, a fixed bearing part in the housing, a cover pivotally mounted between a closed position in which it rests on the edge of the housing and an open position, a rigid piece on the cover extending into the housing, a mobile member disposed in the housing, means for slidably mounting said mobile member in the lighter case, means for biasing said mobile member towards the bottom of the housing, and means for pivotally attaching said rigid piece to said mobile member about a mobile pivotal axis situated in the housing when the cover is in the closed position, said pivotal axis situated in the proximity of said wall of the housing, said rigid piece connected to an inner surface of the cover at a location further away from said wall than said pivotal axis, means defining a gap between the inner surface of the cover and said rigid piece to receive said wall when the cover is in the open position, said rigid piece including means defining a cam profile cooperating with said fixed bearing part of the housing to displace the pivotal axis towards the opening when the cover is pivoted from the closed position towards the open position. 